Shutdown Continues, Lawmakers Divided Over 'Sequester' Cuts

05:22

October 14, 2013

The U.S. Capitol in Washington is pictured in June 2013. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) — (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

No official talks between lawmakers are scheduled today, a day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke briefly by phone and failed to agree on a deal to raise the U.S. borrowing authority.

This comes just days before a deadline of Thursday, October 17, to end the federal government shutdown, now in its third week.

A major sticking point is when automatic spending cuts, known as the sequester, would be phased out.

Reid yesterday rejected a plan by Senate Republicans to lift the debt ceiling until Jan. 31, re-open the federal government and fund it at current levels for six months.

Guest

Ron Elving, NPR senior Washington editor. He tweets @relving.

This segment aired on October 14, 2013.